In May 2015, Sally Faulkner 's two children, Lahela and Noah, then aged five and two, were spending time with their father, Ali Elamine, during what was meant to be a short holiday in Lebanon.

More than 12,000km away back in Australia, Sally's Skype rang. It was Ali with a message about the children.

"Plans had changed."

"Lahela and Noah aren't coming back to you. They're staying here with me," Sally recalled him saying.

It's a moment that's been forever seared into her memory.

Not able to sleep, Sally began contacting everyone she knew, including frantically sending emails to every media agency she could think of.

What happened next made headlines around the world.

The Brisbane mum attempted to retrieve her kids with the help of a child recovery agency called CARI. Channel Nine’s

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